Question word 'wo' (where, place)

What it is. wo means where. You use it to ask about a static location - where something or someone is.

Word order. wo goes in position 1, the verb stays in position 2, then the subject:

• Wo ist der Bahnhof? - Where is the station?
• Wo wohnst du? - Where do you live?
• Wo arbeitet er? - Where does he work?

The wo / wohin / woher trio. German splits "where" into three:

• wo = where (position, no movement): Wo bist du?
• wohin = where to (direction, movement towards): Wohin gehst du?
• woher = where from (origin): Woher kommst du?

Common mistakes. English uses "where" for all three meanings, so learners often say Wo gehst du? when they mean Wohin gehst du?. Use wo only when nothing is moving. Do not confuse wo (where) with wer (who). Keep the verb right after wo.

'wo' (where) asks about a location.

Use 'wo' for a static location (Wo?); 'wohin' = where to, 'woher' = where from.

'wo' fragt nach einem Ort (Position).